The Mediterranean Sea is often perceived as having a low tsunami risk, but history and recent modelling have shown that destructive waves have hit the French coast and could do so again. A project in Nice and along the French Riviera highlights why preventive evacuation measures remain the only truly effective means of saving lives.
Tsunamis, triggered by earthquakes, underwater landslides or volcanic eruptions, spread rapidly over long distances before releasing energy near the coast. Since 1970, they have claimed over 250,000 lives worldwide. In June 2022, Unesco declared a 100% chance of a tsunami of at least one metre in the Mediterranean within 30 years.
Around twenty tsunamis have been recorded along the French Riviera between the 16th century and early 2000s, with waves often exceeding two metres. Sources can be local or distant; run-up time can be under ten minutes for local events. The 2003 Boumerdès earthquake in Algeria caused sea level drops and damage on the Riviera 75 minutes later. The 1979 Nice tsunami, triggered by an underwater collapse, killed eight people. The 1887 Ligurian Sea earthquake produced a wave of nearly two metres.
France's national tsunami alert system, part of the Centre d'alerte aux tsunamis (Cenalt) since July 2012, can detect earthquakes and transmit alerts in under 15 minutes. However, given the short warning times, coastal communities must be able to evacuate quickly. Authorities are now preparing evacuation plans to mitigate the risk.
